Windmill



L. BALLBACTLI.

(No1/loam.)

WINDMILL.

Patented Sept. l, 1896.

ZZ Illlllllllllllllllll C Wz'vesses f (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2', L.BALLBACH.

WINDMILL.

No. 566,961. Patented Sept. l', 1896.

LauzIsaZZac/L,

IINiTED STATES Partnr OFFICE.

LOUIS BALLBAOH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

WINDMILL..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,961, datedSeptember 1, 1896.

Application tiled July 30, 1895. Serial No. 557,552. (No model.)

To @Zt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis BALLBACH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in lVindmills, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to combine in one mill the power ofseveral wind-wheels; and to this end my invention consists in the vparticular arrangement and construction of a mill comprising any desirednumber of wheels arranged in pairs and in a manner which is safe andeconomical and capable of producing great power, all as more fullyhereiuafter set forth, and shown in the accom panying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a general elevation of a inill embodying my inventionwith the deflectors partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective of thetop portion of the mill, showing-the rudder for keeping the wheels inthe wind and the vane for operating the delectors which cut off the windfrom the wheels. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the axis of onepair of wind-wheels. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section on the axis ofthe revolving tower with parts broken out.

A are the wheels, arranged in pairs vertically above each other in arotary tower E, which is supported at or near the ground upon a centralantifriction step-bearing O of any suitable construction, and the upperend of which is provided with an upwardly-eXtend ing hollow spindle D,which passes through a vertical antifriction guide-bearing E, whichlatter is supported by the stationary outer tower F. The sole purpose ofthe outer tower is to hold the revolving tower in its vertical positionagainst all the contingent pressures of the wind, anda skeletonstructure of any kind may be used, as in the construction of the variouskinds of windmill-towers, and if desired guy-ropes maybe used for atower of great height.

In the drawings, the outer tower is represented by four tubular ironposts c c, secured in the ground in any convenientway and connected attop by the spider-frame ZJ, which holds the guide-bearing E in place.The step-bearin g C, which supports the inner a bed-plate for theair-compressing device,

as hereinafter more fully described.

Between the cross-girths ofthe rotary tower are supported thewind-wheels A, which are arranged in pairs vertically above each other,the manner of securing them being alike for each pair, and is asfollows: Suitable brackets g are secured to the uprights CZ of therotary tower to form with their inner ends suitable supports for thefixed shaft h, upon which the wheels are journaled. These wheels A areof the type known as solid wheels,and the sails of each pair areinversely inclined, all so arranged that if one wheel is exposed to thewind the other wheel is directly behind it and is driven by the windwhich passes through the first wheel in the opposite direction. Asshown, the'wheels are suitably journaled on antifriction ball-bearings.To the outer face of the hub of each wheel is secured a bevel gear-wheelt', which meshes with the horizontal bevel gear-wheels j, the latterbeing secured to vertical shafts lo, which are j ournaled in verticalguide-bearingsZ in the cross-girths c, and are provided at their lowerend with a pinion m. The two pinions m engage upon opposite sides of thecentral master-wheel n, which revolves the shaft o, provided with thecrank p.

G G are two air -compressing cylinders mounted opposite each other uponthe bedplate f of the rotary tower, and the pistons of theseair-compressin g cylinders are geared with the crank p in any knownmanner to operate the air-coinpressin g cylinders through the crank p.

I is a pipe through which the compressed air is conducted to the outsideinto any suitable tank (not shown) forstoring. This pipe passes throughthe center'of the step-bearing O, and is provided with a suitable rotaryjoint connection J between the xed and movable portion. To the upper endof the spindle D ICO of the rotary tower is secured the rudder K, ofsuitable size to freely revolve the rotary tower by the force of thewind and thereby hold the front wheel of each pair ot' wheels directlyinto the path of the wind.

L L are two vertical wind-defiect0rs, preferably of segmentalcylindrical shape, and extending the distance required to screen thewheels when placed in front thereof. To this end the defieetors L L aresecured to radiallyswinging arms rr, pivotallysupported in the axis ofthe rotary tower. The rotary arms fr 1 at the upper end of thedetlectors are secured to the spindles s s', which extend npward throughthe hollow spindle D, and are provided at the upper end with arms t t,corresponding with the arms r r. Near the rear end of the rudder K andastride the saine is located a vane M, pivotally secured by means of anarm N to the rudder, allso arranged as to oppose the force of the windto the tension of a pair of springs O, which tend to hold the vane invertical position in the wind. The Vane M is pivotally connected bymeans of links o o with the arms t if', respectively, all so arrangedthat the movem ent of the vane is comm unicated by means of theconnection described to the detiectors L L', and thereby cause them toturn in a circular path, the adjustment being such that by a wind et'ordinary force the vane M remains upright or nearly so, and therebythrough the connection hold the deiiectors L L' diametrieally oppositeeach othernear the rim of the wheels, as shown in Fig. 3, and therebyadmitting the full force of the wind to the wheels. By the increasedwind force, the vane M becoming` depressed, the detlectors L L move intothe path of the wind, thereby shutting off part of the wind and movingcompletely into the path of the wind when the wind becomes too strong,thereby detlecting the wind entirely from the wheels.

By using the power of the windmill in the manner described forcompressing air and storing the same it is obvious that the coinpressedair thus obtained will at all times furnish a ready source of power,whether the wind is blowing or not, and can be used for raising water orfor all other purposes for which power is required.

I do not want to limit myself to any speciiic device for storing ortransmitting power, as it is obvious the wind-power may be used directlyfor driving machinery, if desired.

My device, as will be seen, is not limited in the amount of wheels whichcan be used, and thus great power may be obtained. At the same time theexpedient of placing the wheels in pairs saves in the height of thestructure and prevents creeping.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a windmill, the combination witha fixed outer supporting frame or tower, of a movable frame adapted torotate in said tower, a vertical win d-wheel carried by said movableframe, a rudder carried by and adapted te rotate said movable frame aplurality of winddetlectors carried by and adapted to move with themovable frame, a vane, and connections between said vane and thedetlectors for automatically moving each of said deeetors, independentlyof the movement of the rudder, upon an abnormal condition of the wind,substantially as described.

2. In a windmill, the combination with a fixed frame or tower, of aninner rotating frame, a vertical wind-wheel carried by said rotatingframe, a rudder carried by and adapted to turn the rotating frame tohold the wheel continuously into the wind, a pair of wind-detlectorspivotally mounted in said rotating frame, a pivotal vane carried by saidrudder having its surface opposed to the wind, a spring for holding thevane in its normal position, and connections between each dctlector andsaid vane whereby the detlectors are moved in front of the windwheel onan abnormal condition of the wind, substantially as described.

3. In a windmill, the combination of a iixed outer supporting-frameprovided with the guide-bearing E, and the turn-table C, a rotary frameprovided with a hollow spindle passing through the guide-bearing E, awindwheel carried by said rot-ary frame, a rudder mounted on said hollowspindle, a vane pivotally astride the rudder, deiiectors provided withspindles passing through the hollow spindle, an arm on each of saidspindles, links connecting each arm with the vane, and a spring betweenthe rudder and the vane, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afi-ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS BALLBACII.

Vitnesses:

O. F. BARTHEL, M. B. ODoennurr.

IOO

